White Bean Mediterranean Salad (Print View)

Creamy beans mixed with tomatoes, herbs, and olive oil for a fresh Mediterranean-inspired flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beans

01 - 1 can (14 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 small red onion, finely diced
04 - 1 clove garlic, minced
05 - 1 small cucumber, diced (optional)

→ Herbs

06 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
07 - 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
08 - 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves or 1 tsp dried oregano

→ Dressing

09 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
11 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
12 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional Additions

13 - 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced
14 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (omit for vegan)

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large salad bowl, mix the cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes, red onion, garlic, and cucumber if using.
02 - Incorporate chopped parsley, basil, and oregano into the mixture.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar or lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the ingredients in the bowl and toss gently to coat evenly.
05 - Fold in Kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese if using.
06 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes to enhance flavor melding.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes with zero cooking, which means summer dinner without heating up the kitchen.
  • The beans stay creamy while everything else stays crisp, creating this perfect textural balance that somehow feels more sophisticated than it has any right to be.
  • It tastes even better the next day when the flavors have had time to get to know each other.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—that starchy liquid is what makes them taste metallic and heavy instead of fresh.
  • If you have time, let the salad sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving so the flavors actually get to know each other instead of just existing in the same bowl.
03 -
  • Use a fork instead of a whisk to blend the dressing if you only have one bowl dirty—it works just fine and tastes the same.
  • If the salad sits overnight and tastes a bit dry the next day, add a splash more olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice to bring it back to life.
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